ubuntu-bugcontrol team mailing list archive

[Jonathan Gossage <jgossage@xxxxxxxxx>]

I am interested in having someone mentor me because I believe that mentoring
will provide the quickest route for me to come up to speed on the entire
Ubuntu support and development process.

My background:
I am a retired software developer. I started back in 1957 so have had the
opportunity to work with a wide variety of hardware and software systems.
The bulk of my experience has been with system software and tool-smithing
rather than with application software. Some highlights:

1957-1960 - Heavy engineering shop floor control and railroad car-tracking
applications
1960-1961 - Developing multi-programming extensions to GE operating system
in service bureau
1960-1973 - IBM systems engineer - worked primarily on custom extensions to
mainframe computer job management systems
1974-1982 - Worked in mainframe service bureau developing custom operating
system extensions to support service bureau operations
1983-1986 - Independent consultant mostly working on communications based
projects with excursions into database stuff
 1987-1989 - Worked on scanning and imaging software
 1990-1993 - Worked with QNX realtime operating system (Unix lookalike)
developing shell extensions and a DOS file system for QNX
 1994-1995 - Worked on fiber-optics based real-time traffic control system
 1996-2000 - Worked on file-systems and file system filters for Microsoft
Windows. Built a UDF file-system and worked on developing virtual volumes
that could span physical disks and computers. All in the context of
supporting and exploiting optical jukeboxes.
2000-2002 - Worked on security systems using smart cards including smart
card firmware and firmware for smart card readers
2003-2004 - Worked on Eclipse plugin intended to provide an integrated
version control system for Eclipse. Project canceled when IBM pulled key
developers off the project.
2005-2009 - Retired - mostly helping my son with university projects. Used
Ubuntu exclusively for personal work during this time.

As of yet, my Linux background is not that strong. I can install systems,
install packages from source, and develop patches when necessary but I need
to build a much deeper understanding of how the entire Linux environment
works as an integrated system.

Initially, I believe that I can be of most use in triaging bugs with poorly
defined and obscure symptoms. Probably could be particularly useful working
in areas that straddle the boundary between application land and the kernel.
One good example is the ACPID package that is looking for a subscriber at
this time.

You can check out what I have done so far on Ubuntu at my personal
page<https://edge.launchpad.net/%7Ejgossage>.
Please let me know whether you think my assessment is reasonable and point
me in the direction where I can be most useful.

Regards

Jonathan Gossage